He was there. He’dfoundher! He’d found her, and now he was going to—
Ellie cried out in surprise as Neil grabbed her, spun her around, and began using her as a human shield.
“Stay back, or I’ll shoot!” her captor shouted the ominous warning.
But she wasn’t paying attention to what the maniac was saying. She was too busy staring up at her very own personal hero.
“You shoot her, it’ll be the last fucking thing you do!”
Okay, so she liked Lucky’s warning a whole lot better.
“This doesn’t concern you!”
“Now, that’s where you’re wrong.” Lucky shook his head as if he were sorely disappointed. “You see, that woman you’re holding a gun on happens to be the woman I’m completely, head over ass in love with. So if you hurt her, Iwillhurt you.”
The woman he was head over…
“You have no idea who you’re dealing with, pal. So just take your friends and go!”
Ellie hadn’t even noticed Van or Chase until now. Van was up the hill a ways to Lucky’s left, and Chase was parallel to him at Lucky’s right.
“I know exactly who you are…pal,” Lucky shot back. He continued taking small, cautious steps toward her. “That’s right. I see you.”
Behind her, Neil scoffed. “I hope like hell you can see me. Your dumbass is standing right in front of me.”
Oh, Neil. You really are an idiot.
Lucky’s lips curled into a menacing smirk. “No. I see you. And I know a million guys just like you. You and your fancy suits and ridiculously expensive cars. The women you parade around town with at night, and the smug, arrogant way you fight in court. I know all about you, Neil. Learned quite a bit just on the ride over her.”
“Fuck off.”
“What’s the matter? Did I hit a nerve?” Lucky grinned. “Must have, but then again, I’m not surprised. Like I said, I see you. Not just what you put off for the public, but all the rest of the bullshit lying underneath. The pressure from mommy and daddy. I bet you expected to be perfect growing up, huh? Perfect grades. Perfect hair. Perfect girlfriend to take to prom—”
“Shut the fuck up!”
“I wonder…are your parents still pressuring you? Or is your fascination with Ellie something you cooked up, all on your own?”
“My parents have nothing to do with this, asshole! Just like what’s between me and Ellie has nothing to do with you!”
“It has everything to do with me, you dumb fuck. Wanna know why?” Lucky didn’t bother waiting for an answer. “Because I’m the thing that’s standing between you and Ellie. And if I’m lucky enough to have her choose me, I will always stand betweenher and anyone or anything stupid enough to threaten her. Now, I’m going to tell you one last time…Let. Her. The fuck. Go.”
“Walk away, or I swear to God, I will kill her where she stands.”
For the first time since his arrival, Lucky’s eyes fell onto hers. When they did, she found more emotion staring back at her than she’d ever felt from another human being.
“Do you trust me, sweetheart?”
Ellie gave him a jerky nod. “Always.”
He smiled. A big, wide, toothy grin that deepened his slashy dimples and lit up the blues in his eyes. “Good girl.”
Knowing he was probably about to do something really brave—and possibly very, very stupid—Ellie braced herself for whatever would happen, and she prayed her crazy, wonderful man could somehow get them both out of this alive.
Lucky’s attention slid back to Neil. His trigger finger lowered to his pistol’s hammer. And in the span of a few terrifying heartbeats, Ellie knew…
I love him, too.
“I warned you, Peterson.” Lucky kept his gaze locked on the man still holding her close. “You really should have listened.” Then, in an almost indiscernible move, he glanced down at her and said, “Duck.”